Improvement in fermutation-iiocks



To all whom lit may concern:

l' lside plate 'being removed.

Figure 5 isa sectional view of one of the frictionsprings, through the line y y in fig. 4. y

clotre giedre :und dllliliw.

L. W. LANGDON, OF NORTHAMPTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND J. G. CLARK, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

. v Letters Patent No. 91,139, dated June 8, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PERMUTATION-LOCKS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

that the following is a full, clear, 'and exact descrip# tion thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specication, and to the letters of reference marked thereon," in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of said lock. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, the plane of vertical section being indicated by the'line X X in iig. 4.

Figure 3 is a side elevation o f the same, thesde of the lock' being represented 'as broken away,rto show the works. l

Figure 4`is a reverse plan view of said lock, the in- Figure 6 is a plan view of the perforated dial, Whicl is keyed to the main shaft.

Figure 7, I, II, III, shows two end elevations and a side elevation of the middle one of the three ferrules or sleeves which turn aronndthe stem of the bolt.

Figure 8, I, II, III, shows t'wo end elevations of l thel ferrule or sleeve nearest they bolt-end` of the lock,

and also an axial section through the. line a: x in fig. 8 I. l.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the ferrule which is nearest to the main shaft.

Figure l0, I, II, shows alA plan view. and sidel view cfa serrated friction-washer, which is placed between the base of the lock and thedriving-gear, to holdlthe `latter iu any position to which it `may be adjusted.

My invention relates to that class of locks in which the bolt is moved in .and outby somemeansiudependent of the proper locking-mechanism, which latter 'ls operated by 'a graduated; revolving knob, index, or

\ dial, the movement of which :i's'g'overned by a` certain adjustment, according to numbers which are known l to the operator, which adjustmentmay be changedv i number of parts, and is bothcheap and durable in its construction.

In the lock shown,v the several 'parts are:` the, body oi case; a bolt having a round" stem, and three short studs projecting from it ina line with one another; three slotted and channelled lel'rules or sleeves, which encircle the stem of the bolt; two small bevelledgears;

a main driving-shaft orrspindle; and the graduated knob which turns it; a thin perforated dial keyed to the spindle; and three friction-springs and screws for holding the parts in place, with a small independent knob for shoving the bolt in and out.

The nature of my invention can be best understood from the description of its construction and operation, which is as follows:

In construction, the body or case of the lock consists of the front plate A, sides and ends A', which may be cast in one piece, and the back' B which is fastened by screws, s s'.

A cylindrical projection, a, is formed upon the face of A, through which the driving-spindle passes, and which supports the locking-knob K.

A slot, s, is also cut in the plate A, in which the stemof the small knob (l moves to and fro in shoving t-he bolt.

The post b and buttress b are cast with, or firmly attached to,`the body of the lock, and act as guides through circular openings in which the round stem of the bolt moves back and forth, while the locking-end of thebolt passes out of the case through a rectangular opening in the end, as in ordinary locks.

The bolt E is enlarged at the locking-end into the rectangular portion c, which enters the usual boltsocket inthe door-frame, and is proportioned in size to the strain which is to be put upon the lock.

The remainder of the bolt consists of the cylindrical stem c', which is smoothly nished, and in which are firmly set the three studs c cl c", the heads of which are rectangular, and'project but a short distance above the surface of the stem c.

The small rod which carries the knob d is firmly screwed into .the bolt, and serves to shove it out into the locking-position, or to withdraw it, when the locking-mechanism has freed it.

The three ferrules, or sleeves, F Fl F2, are of the same diameter and thickness, being made to fit the smooth stem e ofthe bolt, about which they move as around an axle, and it is by the rotation oi these fer rules that the bolt is locked, or prevented from moving back, when pushed out by the knob d into the lockingposition.. All these ferrules move freely about the bolt, and one is made to turn the next, and so on, by small dogs or projections on the adjacent ends of each, which engage with one another, like the teeth of gearwheels, so that a dog is formed at each end of the middle ferrule F', while only a single dog is required upon each of the others.

The ferrnle F2 is moved by the bevelled gear Gy, of which it forms the hub, and if it be turned until its dog, f, cornes in contact with the dog f upon the middle ferrnle, the latter will take the same rotation, and when the dog fx, at its other end, meets the dog f upon the ferrule F the three fel-rules will all move together, and may thus he all rotated to the right or left, according to the direction of the motion of the hevelled gear G.

To allow this rotation over the projecting studs in the bo1t,an annular channel is cut in the inside of each ferrule, at one end, which is deep enough to receive the stud, and allow a free rotation of the ferrules.

In order that the bolt may be drawn back through the ferrules, without the studs striking the ferrules, a longitudinal channel or groove, ci' the same depth as the annular grooves, is cnt in the inside ol' the ferrules F and F', and a longitudinal slot is also cut in the third ferrule F, so that, n hen these longitudinal channels, and the slot in Fi, are all in' the proper line with the studs on the bolt, as in figs. 2 and 4, the bolt can be readily shoved back, and the device is then uulocked.

It will he seen that ifa single one of the ferrnles is moved either way, so that its channel or slot is not in line with the others, the bolt cannot be drawn back.

The operation of unlocking, therefore, consists of bringing these t'errules into such positions, relatively to the bolt and to one another, that the channels for the studs are in a right line with one another, and that this right line shall coincide with the line ol the studs.

It will also he seen that the action ol' tbe dogs upon the ends of the ferrnles is such that, to bring all the channels in line, there must be three opelntions, as follows:

If the dogs are all engaged, so that the ferrules are following one nnothenand are moving from right to left, then this rotation will be kept up until the ferrule F is in the unlocking position; then the bevel-gear and drivingferrule lf will be rotated in the opposite direction until the ferrule F is brought into unlockingposition also, when the driving-ferrule F2 is again rotated from right to left, until that also falls into the saine position as the other two, when the bolt can be drawn back. It' the first rotation is from left to right the result will be the same, merely reversing the direction of the three motions.

The dogs are purposely arranged so that a. continui 011s rotation ol' all the ferrules in one direction cannot possibly bring all the channels in the proper line.

To prevent the ferrnles F and F' from turning out of place when once adjusted, a friction-spring, g, lig. 5, is placed beneath each one, being made to exert just enough pressure to prevent loose motion, Without interfering with the operation ot' the lock.

The die-spindle H passes down through the cylindrical projection a upon the plate A, and has the hevelled gear G' keyed to its inner end, which gear meshes with the similar bevelled gear G, upon the ferrule F, and thus transmits the motion of the driving-spindle to the system of fer-rules.

A thin sermted disk, L, fig. 10, is placed behind the gear G and is made slightly concave, to act as a presser or friction-spring.

A circular recess, h h, is formed in the top of the projection a, and receives the circular index-plate M, iig. 6, around the outer edge of which is a regular series of small round openings, which are numbered from the tlrst, upward in order; the figures ol' graduaf tion heilig plainly stamped in the face of the dial, which latter has an opening, l, to receive the drivingspindle, and a small slot cut in one side of the opening, which receives a small feather or key on the side ot' the spindle, so that the spindle and dial move together. l

The base of the hollow knob K is of the same dialneter as the projection a, upon which it turns, being held to place by the set-screw k, which is screwed into the end of the spindle, which extends nearly through the knob.

A small, round pin, o, projects from the inner face of K, and is madeto enter one or another of the tion, 13, 2, 10, and so on, for every hole in the dial.

series of holes in the dial-plate M, and when thus enteredand held in place by turning in the screw k, the knob, dial, and spindle will all move together, and the ferrules may be rotated by turning the knob.

Around the base of the knob K is a. scale, plainly graduated, and extending, in the lock shown, from one to forty-eight iuclnsivethe lines of graduation being carried to the edge of the knob, so as to bring the line corresponding to anygure in a right line with the starting-point, which is made on the projection a.

One or more of the starting-points may be made at different points in the periphery of a, and suitably distinguished by marks, thus further complicating the facts which it. is necessary for the operator to know in opening the lock.

When the lock, thus constructed, is to be used, the object of the operator is to find out the three numerical adjustments of the knob K, which will enable him to bring all the ferrnles into the position shown in g. 4,

s o that the bolt can he drawn back.

To make this easier to be seen, short slots are out in the ends of the ferrulesso that the studs upon the bolt can be seen when the ferrules are properly turned; but, instead of the slots, aline might be made along i each ferrule over the middle of the longitudinal channel beneath, and a point or line upon the post b, with which the lines upon the ferrnles should be made to range when they are brought into the unlockiug-postion.

The back plate B being removed, the operation of finding the adjustment is as follows, the pin o in the knob being supposed to be in the hole marked 1 in the dial:

The knob is turned in the direction of the arrow, l once or twice around, or until the dogs on the ferrulss are all brought in train, and the ferr-nies following one another, which following the operator will generally feel from the knob, and must occur in two or three revolutions.

The zero-point, which is numbered 48 in the lock shown, is then brought round to the starting-point on' the projection a, and the knob is then turned-iu the direction ofthe arrow until the operator sees that the ferrule F is in the unlocking position, when he notes what number on the knob is opposite the startingpoint, and in this case nds it to be 21%. He then turns the knob in the opposite direction until the middie ferrule F' is brought to tbe same position, and again notes the number on the knob against the startl ing-point, which will be 14, and, finally, he again turns the knob in the direction of the arrow until the last ferrule is turned into the unlocking-position, and lnds his third number to be 37.

If the operator should, however, begin by rotatin the knob in a direction opposite to the direction o? the arrow, to obtain the lrst number, then in the direction of the arrow for the second, and so on, the adjusting-numbers will be found to hc 31%, l0, 37. l

To unlock, therefore, the operator has only to be in l possession of eitherof these sets of numbers, 21 14, 37, l or 31s, 10, 37, with the further knowledge of whether the knob is to be first turned with the arrow or oppol site to it.

If it should become desirable tochauge the adjustment of the lock, for purposes ot safety, the setscrew k can be turned out, and the knob K turned so that the pin o shall lill some other hole in the dial, when new numbers wilL be found, to follow the adjustment of the i ferrules; as, for instance, if the pin o be set in the fifth hole in the dial, the adjustment following the arrow i will be found to be 14, 7, 30; or, in the reverse direc The numbering of the holes in the dial is intended mainly as a safeguard, so that if the knob be mischievously turned, so that the pin o ls entered in some other hole, the owner of thelock can immediately restore t place of the longitudinal channels, and consider the the knob to its properplace.` It is therefore necessary that the owner of the lock should retain in mind,

-or on record, the number of the hole in the dialin Iotherwise perfect duplicates, will be entirely different,

and a like variation will follow a relative change in the number of teeth on oneor other of the bevelled gears.

-If the lock is'to be used upon a honse-door, an inside fknob, dial, spindle, 4and bevelled gear, may be applied directly oppositethe outside one shown, and having the same operation. j

Any numberof ferrules, greaterv than one, may be used, each ferrule adding a newfnumber to the numerical adjustment; and all theferrules maybe enclosed in a single sleeve, in ivhich smallholes, 'like 'oil-holes, may he made, answeringito certainV holes in the ferj rules, when the latter are brought to place, in which case a pointed wirey would be used for ascertaining 4when the ferrules were in unlocking-position.

` 9 The studs upon the'steul of'thcvbolt need `not be placed in a right line; butthearrangemedt shown is i more convenient than an irregular location of the .Y studs, and equally safe. l

I am aware that slots may be cut in allthe ferrules saine an equivalent for such channels, but prefer the latter, as leaving the ferruie more rigid and durable.

I do not claim broadly a series of channelled and revolving ferrnles, arranged on a bolt, having studs set therein, as I am aware that such have been used; neither do I cLaim rot-ating one fel-rule from another `by means of projections on the adjacent ends thereof;

but having described my invention,

What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by' Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the locking-bolt of a permutation-lock, having studs set on the cylindrical part thereof', a series of revolving ferrules, having annular and longitudinal channels and dogs upon the adjacent ends thereof, when said ferrules revolve on the looking-bolt, are arranged and enclosed within a casing, and are operated by lneans of power applied to one of the ffrrules, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination and arrangement ofthe bolt E, having projecting studs, the series of' channelled and revolving ferrules F, with projecting dogs f at the adjacent ends thereof, bevelled gears G G', driving-spin dle H,v dial M, and graduated knob K, having a projecting pin, o, the whole applied to the lock-body, and operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand, this 23d day of June, A. D. 1868.

' L. W. LANGDON.

Witnesses:

J. P. BUCKLAND, E. J. SOMMER. 

